Every Spy a Traitor

A Financial Times Best Book of 2024

‘One of the superstars of modern spy fiction’ Daily Express

'One of the best spy novels I've read' I. S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow

'Gerlis is at the top of his game' Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station

Trust no one. Suspect everyone.

It’s 1937. Fear and suspicion stalk the Continent. A million have died in Stalin’s Great Purge and the Nazi terror grips Germany. But British intelligence is still trying to work out who the enemy is.

As Europe heads towards war, treason is in the air. British spymasters know there is one Soviet agent in their ranks, codenamed Agent ‘Archie’, and there’s a frantic search to find them. What they don’t know is that he is not the only traitor.

The life of Charles Cooper, a young British writer travelling Europe to research his novel, is about to change for ever…

The thrilling first novel in Alex Gerlis’ new Double Agent espionage series, perfect for fans of Charles Cumming and Mick Herron.

'Fascinating... A pleasant blend of John Buchan derring-do if lightweight adventures and the more gritty Le Carré-like grey travails in the secret corridors of power' Maxim Jakubowski, Crime Time

'Clever plotting, rich detail and a compelling story of a young man forced to become a double agent to survive in a world where friends become adversaries and no one can be trusted.Every Spy a Traitor will reward fans of Graham Greene, Charles Cumming, Frederick Forsythe and Alan Furst' Paul Vidich, author of Beirut Station

'An absorbing portrait of a world on the brink that disarms you before it floors you' Tim Glister, author of Red Corona

'With this brilliant tale of a writer entangled in pre-World War II espionage, Gerlis cleverly builds an ironic and darkly realistic world that shows just how nebulous is the border between good and evil, observer and participant, our inner and outer lives. Richly imagined, meticulously plotted, and chockfull of historic details, Every Spy a Traitor is one of those rare books that gets better with every page. One of the best spy novels I've read' I. S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow